Chaper 4

“Me!” Shahnaz’s shout echoed throughout the parliamentary chamber that day. “I am the legal and state-recognised heir to my uncle … Ekram Adolf.”

Everyone turned their attention to Shahnaz, who appeared from behind Husain. As Shahnaz walked in and looked at each of the officials in the room, whom Husain referred to as his late uncle's colleagues, Husain was busy opening his briefcase and taking out several documents to hand over directly to the Prime Minister.

The courtroom became chaotic again, even more so than before. Some of them tried to whisper about Shahnaz's presence, which was considered disrespectful to the courtroom and the honourable Parliament proceedings. Added to that was the nonsense she was spouting about the legitimate offspring of Ekram Adolf. All this time, Ekram Adolf had been known as a man who was infertile. He himself had admitted this on various occasions, when many people tried to find out why he and Ismi had no children.

"Miss Shahnaz?" Asked the Prime Minister to Shahnaz.

"Yes, Prime Minister." Shahnaz ignored everyone's gaze and turned her attention to the Prime Minister, who was sitting at the far end of the long table.

"So you are the biological niece of Mr Ekram Adolf?" Asked the Prime Minister.

"That's right, sir. I am his biological niece."

"If that is true, you have a family relationship with Mr Ekram, so why has Mr Ekram never said a word about you to anyone, not even his colleagues? Why is your existence seemingly hidden from everyone? Even I, who have known Mr Ekram Adolf for quite some time, have never once seen you at his residence?" Asked the Prime Minister again to Shahnaz.

The girl could clearly see that she was under suspicion. She herself did not blame many people for not believing that she was related to Ekram Adolf. But Husain would not be Husain if he did not have his own thoughts and reach a conclusion before the suspicion arose.

Husain, unbeknownst to Shahnaz, had conspired with Margareth to take the remaining hair from Ekram Adolf and Shahnaz to conduct a DNA test. There was enough hair that if they now asked Shahnaz to take another DNA test, Husain would readily agree to it. Even if they had to exhume Ekram's grave right then and there.

"Excuse me, Prime Minister. For that purpose, I have conducted a valid DNA test at the hospital. And the test has been done several times. Even since Mr Adolf was still alive." Husain stated that all of this was in the documents he had attached to the Prime Minister.

"I don't need your answer." The Prime Minister turned his gaze back to Shahnaz, who was still standing in her place. "I want to hear the answer directly from the girl. Now!"

Husain fell silent and gave Shahnaz the opportunity to speak. He was worried that Shahnaz would be intimidated and feel frightened by the pressure she was under in this room. However, Shahnaz showed a sharp, confident and courageous look in her eyes when she finally spoke.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain, Prime Minister." Shahnaz then continued. "First of all ... I would like to apologise to you and all the honourable officials present here, because I have caused this very important parliamentary session to be delayed and have given the impression that I do not respect everyone present, including ... you yourself, Prime Minister. However ...!" Exclaimed Shahnaz. "But before I answer that question, allow me to defend my uncle's actions and also ask you... and all the officials in this room a question."

"Please go ahead ...." Replied the Prime Minister again.

"Sir ... as my uncle's legitimate niece, I sometimes find his attitude strange, as if he wants to hide our blood relationship. Even so, he never allowed his colleagues to see my face or know of my existence. Although all this time ... my uncle always gave me great attention, affection, and even financial support after the death of my parents." Shahnaz paused for a moment to take a breath before continuing. "But, after my uncle passed away yesterday and I took care of the funeral arrangements myself. Waiting and mourning my uncle beside his coffin alongside my aunt, Ismi, I finally saw and understood … what made my uncle act that way.”

Everyone fell silent and waited eagerly for Shahnaz's story, which directly concerned Ekram. They turned their full attention to the girl.

"If only the Prime Minister could have come to my uncle's funeral, perhaps you would have seen for yourself what happened in our home. All this time ... I always thought that my uncle had many good colleagues who cared about him, just as many people always said. But yesterday ... I was slapped in the face with the bitter reality that there was not a single person!" Shahnaz paused, took a deep breath and stared intently at the Prime Minister before continuing. "Not a single person came to pay their last respects to my late uncle. Not them, not even you ... Prime Minister." Shahnaz said this with a trembling voice and a fierce tone.

Shahnaz's words apparently slapped all the officials present in the meeting room. They now seemed awkward and looked in random directions, averting their gaze from Shahnaz, who still firmly showed her existence and courage in front of the courtroom and everyone. Some of them also whispered, although it was unclear what they were saying.

"I am not unaware of how busy each of you officials are with your work at the moment. I also do not want to be presumptuous by blaming you for your absence at my uncle's funeral. But ... I think that the lesson of respecting others has often been taught to us since we were children. Especially... when it comes to death and mourning." Shahnaz reiterated firmly.

This time, she did not say it while looking at the Prime Minister. Instead, she looked around at all the officials present in the room.

"I have also heard what is on the agenda for today's meeting from Mr Husain." Shahnaz then gave a slight smile and said. "It's strange, sir, that so many people no longer care about my uncle that they ignored his funeral. Now they are sitting here together discussing the assets that my uncle worked so hard to accumulate over the years, as if they were saving my uncle from a ruin that he never caused."

"Watch your tone with the Prime Minister, Miss! You have no right to criticise the Prime Minister so harshly." Baraq, Ekram's rival, then spoke up.

"I'm not just talking to the Prime Minister, sir!" shouted Shahnaz. "I am one person standing alone and speaking in front of more than 40 government officials in one room. So my voice ... should be louder than the voices of the 40 people here, including ... your own voice, Mr Baraq."

The Prime Minister, who had been silent and watching the debate, immediately spoke before Baraq could respond to Shahnaz.

"I sincerely apologise to you, Miss Shahnaz ... for our absence at the funeral." He said calmly in front of Shahnaz. "I hope you can understand what happened yesterday and that after this ... I already have plans to visit Adolf's family home with the officials who are present."

"For what purpose, Sir?" Asked Shahnaz. "To seize my uncle's assets? To announce the unilateral withdrawal of assets, or perhaps ... to scatter flowers on my uncle and aunt's graves?"

Hearing Shahnaz's blunt and challenging words, Husain immediately moved closer to Shahnaz and signalled to her to control her words and anger.

The woman finally complied. She tried to control herself and lower her anger in front of everyone. She took a deep breath and bowed her head again. The peak of her emotions and her memories of the series of events that appeared before her in a terrifying way made Shahnaz unable to hold back her tears in front of all the officials.

"I will take a DNA test or whatever it takes to prove the validity of the blood relationship between me and my uncle, Ekram. And I will also defend all the assets left by my uncle and take good care of them." Her firmness caused the room to become noisy again.

***

---Parliament waiting room, a few hours later---

After a lengthy debate with Shahnaz, who was opposed by almost all members of Parliament along with Husain, it was decided that they would conduct a repeat DNA test at a testing facility designated by the members of Parliament so that the results would be more conclusive.

“The results will be out in another week. I don’t know which hospital they’re doing the DNA test at. But they said… the results will be more reliable from that hospital.” Said Husain.

“I don’t care where they conduct the tests. As long as the results are accurate.”

“You can go home first. I’ll ask my driver to take you home.” Husain said to Shahnaz and called his driver on his mobile phone.

“No need.” Shahnaz stood up and prepared to leave. “I can go home by myself.”

However, just as Shahnaz was about to leave, Husain grabbed her arm. He pulled her back in and whispered something to her.

"You can't force me to do that." Shahnaz refused angrily.

"You must, Miss. You have to do what I ask. For your own safety." Husain pleaded with Shahnaz. "Do you know what you just did in that room? You just raised the flag of war and hurled insults at officials who have hated Mr. Adolf all their lives. Do you think that after doing all that, you can live and walk down the street in peace?" Husain's question struck Shahnaz's heart again.

Shahnaz fell silent and stared intently at Husain.

"I brought you here with a promise. That I would not put you in danger. And that I would guarantee your safety by any means necessary." Husain then said. "So I beg you to cooperate with me, even though it will be a new burden for you later on. Because I also made this promise to the late Mr and Mrs Adolf."

Filled with resignation and feeling broken, Shahnaz finally agreed to cooperate with Husain before leaving the Parliament building after several medical officers arrived to take Shahnaz's blood sample for DNA testing.

---Istanbul, Turkey. 10:00 p.m. local time---

A light rain began to fall after the heavy rain had stopped a while ago. A girl walked through the streets of Istanbul, which were still crowded with cars and other vehicles and traffic jams. On the wide pavement, she took long strides. She quickened her pace so she could reach her destination quickly.

Several times she looked back. Checking to see if she was really alone or if someone was walking behind her without permission. Her breathing quickened for a moment when she again felt the presence of someone who was quite close to her current location.

Whether by mistake or on purpose, the girl's steps changed direction and headed towards a small curve between the large buildings of Istanbul. The location was much quieter with narrow turns at every point.

The noisy sounds of vehicles gradually faded away and slowly disappeared. They were replaced by the increasingly clear sound of raindrops and nocturnal animals that began to appear, filling the streets. This made the girl's hair stand on end for a moment, and she quickened her pace again until the splashes of water that had formed puddles on the pavement from the rain ruined her clean clothes.

"Ah ...! Why is today so unlucky?" she grumbled from behind her veil.

She finally chose to lift the hem of her robe, which was almost touching the ground, to avoid further splashes of water. This made her quick steps slower and more careful with every puddle in front of her.

Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, sparkling when she saw the lights of a building she knew well and which was her destination.

However ....

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of blows accompanied by small groans disturbed her ears. She turned her head and hid behind the wall of a house that was crammed into the small alley.

Her eyes sharpened, staring straight at a group of people who were gathered in one spot and looked suspicious.

‘What are they doing?’ she muttered.

And suddenly the crowd of men dispersed a little and walked away, at which point the veiled girl's eyes widened. Her breath caught and she slowly moved forward to get closer.

"Let him go!" the girl shouted loudly.

Her eyes were fixed on a man who was lying on the ground, in a rather pitiful condition.